LUCKNOW, Sept. 30 -- Uttar Pradesh Hockey would be conducting the 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship at Jhansi from October 10 to 21, featuring 30 state and union territory teams competing across three divisions in a promotion-relegation format. This would be for the 10th time when RP Singh-led Uttar Pradesh Hockey hosted the Senior Men National Championship in the state. This edition continues the division-based system introduced in 2025, where teams are grouped into Division A, B and C based on their rankings from the previous year. The format adds stakes beyond the title as top teams in lower divisions can earn promotion, while bottom sides in higher divisions face relegation, making every match crucial for long-term standing. Jhansi's Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium, which hosted the 2025 senior men's nationals, again serves as the venue, reinforcing the city's role as a key hub for domestic hockey. As per the Hockey India's schedule, the Division A comprises 12 top-ranked teams split into four pools of three. Pool A features Hockey Punjab, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and Hockey Bengal; Pool B has Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Hockey Maharashtra and Le Puducherry Hockey; Pool C includes hosts Uttar Pradesh, Hockey Karnataka and Hockey Chandigarh; and Pool D brings together Hockey Manipur, Hockey Haryana and Delhi Hockey. These are traditionally strong units, with Punjab, Haryana, Manipur, Karnataka and Delhi regularly supplying national-team players. The Division B has 10 teams in two pools: Pool A (Hockey Association of Odisha, Assam Hockey, Kerala Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh Hockey) and Pool B (Hockey Jharkhand, Telangana Hockey, Goans Hockey, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, Hockey Arunachal). Division C features eight sides: Pool A (Hockey Mizoram, Hockey Himachal, Hockey Jammu & Kashmir, Hockey Gujarat) and Pool B (Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Rajasthan, Bihar (BSSA)). The top two from Division C move up to B, while the top two from B can rise to A, with corresponding relegation at the bottom. Lucknow is set to witness a new sporting and lifestyle experience as Crescent Presents Pickleball Premier League (PPL) from October 2 to 4, at the Aviyaan Resort, IIM Road. Organising secretary, Adheesh Mohan states that PPL will be competitive pickleball, with franchise teams and players competing over three days for a total prize pool of Rs 10 lakh. The tournament will feature league-stage action followed by knockout matches, culminating in the crowning of the inaugural champions on October 4. The event aims to bring pickleball to a wider audience while giving both existing players and firsttime spectators an opportunity to experience the rapidly growing sport....